While I’m not shy to call out a company when it commits branding blunders, this time around, I want to praise rather than point fingers. That’s because Apple responded so swiftly and proactively to a recent tragedy that wasn’t even of its own making that it deserves some applause.

Again, Apple was off the hook. But, to its credit, the company didn’t just want to prove its innocence – it wanted to prevent more unnecessary deaths from occurring, especially since another Chinese woman was put into a coma due to similar circumstances and a similar faulty third party product.

That’s why Apple announced a special "USB Power Adapter Takeback Program." No, it’s not the catchiest name in the world, but definitely a potential lifesaver, as the company is now selling its name-brand chargers for only $10 to everyone who brings in a third-party charger. From a branding perspective, this is the smartest move Apple could have made. Not only does it (hopefully) eliminate any more headlines about iPhones causing lethal electrocutions, but, as this article points out, it will most likely drive a lot more traffic into Apple stores, which could cause a spike in revenue.

Both of these relatively-obscure disgusting events were caused by rogue employees who were, rightfully, fired for violating company policies – but, thanks to social media, the disgusting acts went viral and couldn’t help but tarnish the brands to some extent.

What can a brand do when its image is tarnished by others? Using Apple’s laudable actions as an outstanding example, here are what I believe to be the five most important Response Rules for brands to follow when handling a PR disaster not of their making:

Response Rule #2: Fast is better than slow – and dumb is unsafe at any speed.

Because social media is such an explosive media, there must be a system in place to determine a response quickly – and overseen by a human with a brain to make sure that response is a smart one. Too often, a company will jump the gun and make a generic statement they end up regretting (such as Chipotle did in this instance). Make sure you know what’s involved before you jump into the fray.

Response Rule #3: Sometimes you should just keep your mouth shut.

The Food Network’s superstar chef Paula Deen has had a rough year, due to ongoing allegations of racism – and the channel felt obliged to take her off the air. Deen’s many supporters, however, blanketed not only The Food Network’s Facebook page with tons of inflammatory comments, but also the pages of Deen’s many sponsors who had dropped her from their rosters. Anyone familiar with the violent rhetoric of Internet commentators understands why The Food Network responded to these posts...with no comment at all. It would have been a lose-lose proposition to do so – and smarter to wait until the controversy blew over.

Response Rule #4: Go beyond what’s necessary when necessary.

Apple creating their Takeback program was clearly many steps past what they needed to do – but it also clearly demonstrated their genuine concern to safeguard their customers against faulty third-party devices. When you go beyond the call of duty to rectify a situation, you show you actually care about those who buy from you.

The pain reliever Tylenol wrote the book on this Response Rule back in 1982, when several of their pills were tampered with on supermarket shelves in Chicago – and ended up killing seven people. Johnson & Johnson, the Tylenol manufacturer, ended up recalling ALL Tylenol products from across the nation at a cost of over $100 million. In the process, they saved a threatened brand and earned plaudits for their extensive action. As The Washington Post put it at the time, "Johnson & Johnson has effectively demonstrated how a major business ought to handle a disaster."

Response Rule #5: Remember that someone else will soon take your place in the doghouse.

The point is whatever has just happened to your brand as a result of someone else’s bad behavior is going to quickly pass – so do what you need to do and move on with your business. If you are truly innocent of misdeeds, the moment will quickly pass – and your success will continue.